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The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission approved $7 million at its quarterly meeting today for the Huntington Park project.
The ballpark will be located in the Arena District, on the northwest corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Neil Avenue in downtown Columbus. It is set to revitalize the city’s urban core with its innovative design that accommodates the disabled and features various family-friendly and sustainable “green” aspects.
The 200,000 square-foot, three-level building constructed from brick and steel will be “green.”
It will feature an extroverted design approach that leads to a significant reduction in spaces requiring air-conditioning. Huntington Park reclaims the blighted urban Brownfield site that is in desperate need of a cleanup. The design protects farmland and open green spaces surrounding the city. It also utilizes existing parking facilities serving the daytime workforce population resulting in a significant reduction in land-use requirements.
The Commission approval, coupled with the signing of legal agreements, allows Franklin County to be reimbursed on a pro rata basis with funds appropriated in Am. Sub. H.B. 699 of the 126th General Assembly.
“Huntington Park is exciting because it demonstrates the significance of genuine partnership to improving our community,” said Commission President Marilyn Brown. “Support from all of the sponsors, including today’s approval of $7 Million from the state of Ohio is vital to bringing us closer to playing baseball in a wonderful, family-friendly new downtown ballpark.”
“With this collaboration we will build a family-friendly ballpark on budget, on time and on schedule, said Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy. Thank you to the State of Ohio for working with us to bring good jobs to Franklin County and good contracts to many Ohio companies.”
“This true public-private partnership is a win for Franklin County families and for local businesses and our $5.3 billion tourism industry,” said Commissioner Paula Brooks. “The investments made by all of the project’s partners are the key to good jobs and economic growth in Franklin County.”
The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission is a state agency that helps enhance the quality of life for Ohioans by improving the state’s cultural facilities. Since 1988, the Commission has disbursed nearly $400 million of capital funds appropriated by the legislature and Governor for facility improvement projects at non-profit theaters, museums, historical sites and publicly owned professional sports venues. The Commission partners with non-profit groups and local governments on nearly 250 projects in 65 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
For more information on the Commission, visit www.culture.ohio.gov.
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